re: ESA should just buy and fly an MER...
Can't blame the ESA for wanting to get in on the rover action. The MERs are the most exciting space missions since Apollo. A shame the ESA can't use off-the-shelf MER technology and just tweek the instrument package. The export restiction makes little sense. We sell F-15s to Pakastan but can't sell MERs to ESA? And protectionism in space jobs will only "protects" inefficiencies.